The XXL look has become ultra trendy. And not just among young people. If for some false eyelashes are a must to shine in the evening, for others, they are an everyday beauty asset. At Galaxus alone, between January and November, sales of these kits jumped 50% compared to last year at the same period. But many glues which are used to fix these fringes on the eyelids present a health risk, warned the French-speaking Consumer Federation on Tuesday.
The FRC analyzed the composition of fourteen glues, on sale on galaxus.ch and manor.ch, sites chosen for “their broad offering, which covers the main brands on the market”. Only three of them are safe. The other eleven glues contain allergens or substances problematic for health. Among these, three do not comply with Swiss cosmetics regulations. Indeed, two glues contain formaldehyde, a prohibited carcinogenic and allergenic preservative, and the third displays an incomplete composition.
“We regularly have patients who come for problems related to false eyelashes and extensions,” says Brice Corbel, emergency nurse at the Jules-Gonin Ophthalmic Hospital in Lausanne. He talks about allergic reactions or even erosions of the cornea due to contact of the eye with the glue. Painful, these must be closely monitored. “Some patients even risk chronic inflammation of the eyelids,” warns the nurse.
On galaxus.ch, the incriminated products were not immediately withdrawn from sale, despite reframing by the FRC. “Marketplace traders, whose assortment we cannot always check immediately, have returned them to our store. They can list their products independently on our platform,” explains Manuel Wenk, spokesperson for the online store, who promises that the items in question are no longer on sale.
For its part, Manor claims to take these results very seriously. “We immediately contacted our suppliers on this point, and also directly integrated these analyzes as part of the review of our assortment,” declares the brand.
Caution when applying
The Fédération romande des consommateurs recommends great caution and advises taking breaks between two applications of false eyelashes, to allow the real ones, damaged by glue, to renew themselves and become denser. Note that it is possible to enhance your eyelashes without makeup, with an eyelash tint, or by applying a serum to strengthen them, or even using an eyelash curler, which has already proven itself.
